title: Trends and pattern of drug abuse deaths in Maryland teenagers.
abstract: The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland recorded a total of 149 drug abuse deaths of teenagers aged 13-19 years between 1991 and 2006. Of these deaths, 96 (64.4%) were caused by the use of narcotic drugs only, 29 (19.5%) by both narcotics and cocaine, four (2.7%) by both narcotics and methylenedioxymethamphetamine, six (4.0%) by cocaine only, and 14 (9.4%) by volatile substances (e.g., butane, Freon, nitrous oxide, and propane). The annual death rate from drug abuse for teenagers increased from 1.4 deaths per 100,000 population in 1991 to 2.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2006 (chi-square test for time trend, p<0.01). The increase in teenager drug abuse deaths occurred in 1999 and since has remained at a higher rate. Further analysis revealed that the increase in drug abuse deaths was attributable to a large degree to narcotic drugs, particularly heroin/morphine and methadone, and was confined to teenagers residing in the suburban and rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Evidence Science, China University of Political Science and Law, 100080 Beijing, China. Ling001@aol.com
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Berry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H Ronald
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Zielke
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002073:Butanes / Q000506:poisoning; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D005617:Chlorofluorocarbons, Methane / Q000506:poisoning; D003042:Cocaine / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D003932:Heroin / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008691:Methadone / Q000506:poisoning; D009020:Morphine / Q000506:poisoning; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000506:poisoning; D009294:Narcotics / Q000506:poisoning; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000506:poisoning; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D011407:Propane / Q000506:poisoning; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D002073:Butanes; D005617:Chlorofluorocarbons, Methane; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D009294:Narcotics; C046888:butane; D003932:Heroin; D009020:Morphine; D003042:Cocaine; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D011407:Propane; D008691:Methadone